NARUTO: Akatsuki no Kokoro
by TAkUu
Summary: Cause if you wanna go to the heart of a story you have to go back to the beginning. The story of Namikaze Minato, better known as Yondaime, since his days as genning till the very end, the beginning of akatsuki and the truth about the Uchiha clan.
1. Chapter 1

**NARUTO **Akatsuki no kokoro

_Cause if you wanna go to the heart of a story you have to go back to the beginning_

Chapter 1

It was raining. The lightings were crossing the ski with all their rage. The clan's streets were empty, in the night's silent the only sound was the falling rain.  
A loneliness figure was gazing the lake without care about the heavy drops falling over her. She had a distant look, was immersed in her thoughts. She didn't care about her expensive kimono to be wet, not even her long black hear to be ruined with the water, she just wanted to be alone for a while, otherwise she was going to explode.  
- Mikoto!!! – the call interrupted unexpectedly the heavy silent.  
The girl turned around. A blond girl, with her long heart tied in a braid, wearing a beautiful violet kimono was running towards her under the rain.  
- Kaede?  
- Finally! I've been looking for you! – Kaede whispered – Why did you leave the party?  
Mikoto didn't look at her.  
- My father wants me to be married at the age of 16. He already has chosen with whom.  
Kaede looked at her without knowing what to say. Arranged marries weren't aloud anymore, but, been Mikoto's father anything could be possible.  
- He says in this war times it's indispensable to have a husband as soon as possible, that I have to start to flirt him from now, so I can have him on my feet to make him ask me to be married, that he has to think it was his idea.  
- in six month we are out of the academy, you'll see, everything is gonna be all right. We'll be able to do whatever we want to during the missions.  
- I'm tired of pretending! I don't.. !  
But suddenly her words were interrupted by an explosion. Not far from there the fire was growing in spite of the rain. Ninjas from the hidden village of the rock were entering Konoha with hole speed. Explosions were everywhere.  
It took a few seconds to the clan to be woken up. Form every single house men armed were going out to defend their village.  
Mikoto and Kaede didn't waste time thinking. They took off those uncomfortable sandals, tore the kimonos to be able to move the legs and went straight to the battle. With a quick movement Mikoto took one of her enemy's kunais and cut his throat with it. Running as if she was insane she didn't leave anyone alive as she passes. In a few minutes the Uchiha clan had finished all the enemies of the zone and was dispersing to eliminate the ones that the other clans hadn't kill yet.  
Kaede start running over the roofs towards the exit willing to help, she knew she shouldn't be happy, but be in the meddle of a battle she was unloading a tremendous adrenaline, and, whatever they say, she was enjoying it.  
Under her she saw a few of her companions looking paralyzed to a couple of rock ninjas getting closer. She didn't blame them, after all, that was their firs real battle, and they had been taken by surprise in the meddle of a party.  
- Katon Gōkakyū no jutsu! – she said jumping off the roof and threw a mouthful of fire on the enemies.  
They scream filled with pain and fell on their knees, giving Kaede time to cut their throats with their own knifes.  
- fence to the refuges for once! – she told them  
Without waiting for an answer she continued running eliminating every single enemy on her way. In the center of the village she found Mikoto, with a blond, tall guy with stopped hair, he was as much a year older than the girls.  
A falcon flew over their heads.  
- Yeah! – Kaede screamed – we finally can fight freely!  
The three boys jumped into the battle filled with emotion. Mikoto showed a great ability in genjutsu, paralyzing her opponents on the first try with her sharingan's help. While Kaede was combining her excellent taijutsu with basic level but effective techniques, using her sharingan to prevent her enemy's movements and act in consequence.  
But the one that more was outlined was the boy who was accompanying them. With an unbeliever speed and precision he eliminated almost all the enemies in a few instants, without a single scratch.  
One of the ninjas that had survived the attack threw a kunai to the boy's legs while he was running, making him fall. Before anyone of the three boys could react a couple of strong hands took the ninja's head and killed him.  
- at that speed you don't detect the movements of your adversary, lose totally the sense of the sight and thus became a vulnerable target. – the man said – at least of course, like your friends, you have a sharingan.  
The boy stood up ashamed and did a reverence.  
- Y.. Yes, Jiraiya sensei!  
- Jiraiya?! – Mikoto said surprised – Jiraiya the legendary Sannin?  
The tall white long haired man raised in all his stature smiling conceitedly.  
- How famous am I.. he he he, even kids knows me… - he made a weird pose – yes, yes! It's me, Jiraiya sama, the great Sannin!  
Three boys looked incredulous how the legendary man was destroying his image together with the first sunbeams.  
- Anyways, - Kaede said trying to change the subject – who are you? You are an excellent ninja! It was amazing what you did just now!  
- yeah.. only a bit – the boy said, but for a second the same conceitedly smile of his master pass through his face – I'm Minato, Namikaze Minato


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

During the war there's no time to rest. Every single time the village was attacked the evacuation plan was started. Every citizen must run to the refuges inside the rocks with the hokage's faces on them, living the ninjas the freedom to fight without care about the lives of the Konoha people. When the falcon flays over the village everyone gives their best and, at least for now, they'd always been able to resist and eliminated the enemies. But this was only a single won battle, the rebuilding of the village must be done by all the citizens, so they could finish quickly and let the ninjas go out the village and continue with the war. The war times seems to never end, the suffering is inside the fighters and also on the ones waiting at home. The smiles welcome the ninjas arriving home, but live suddenly when new mission is given and they must leave again. So that in this frightening monotony in the times of war the village stood up to continue, an unexpected attack during the night could be destroyer, both for the village itself and for the same citizens. They buried the bodies of the deceased in battle, but there was no time for funerals. Everyone was working to rebuild the village, the ninjas were going out in uncountable missions of appreciation.  
Mikoto and Kaede were fixing the school along with the rest of the students. A few walls were fallen by the explosions.  
- Uchiha Mikoto and Kaede!  
The girls turned around. Their sensei was calling them, he was more serious than usual. He guided them for the corridors of the academy to an empty classroom.  
- It's something wrong, Danjuro sensei? – Mikoto asked  
- I'll be clear. Last night you two did an excellent job. You did so much better that what you can expect from a simple gennin. The third Hokage was thinking about it and decided to make you Konoha Ninjas.  
Mikoto and Kaede looked at each other, they were surprised but happy at the same time.  
- In this time of war we need as much men as possible in the battlefield. I know you are just kids, but you are also part of the future and hope of this village.  
Danjuro opened his desk and gave one Konoha bandage to each girl.  
- take them proudly – he turned around and, looking towards the door, said – you can come in – again looking to the girls – let me introduce you to your new team.  
The door opened and in the hole they saw no other that the legendary Jiraiya, by his side, of course, was also Minato.  
- Him?!  
- Yes, Jiraiya sama decided to train this boy a couple of month ago, when he was assigned ninja, but in that moment they didn't find any companion. – Danjuro explained – now you are going to fill the empty spaces of this team.  
- and I said a lot of time that I wanted older girls.. – Jiraiya whispered – anyways, I'll take a day to prove them, then we'll start the missions.  
- but.. you already have a mission to tomorrow early at morning!  
- Don't worry, I know that old man. One day more one day less.. it's the same. Send a team that doesn't know each other is a suicide, so it's better wait another day, don't ya think?  
- Jiraiya sama! You have to understand, in this desperate moments we need you in the battlefield! – Danjuro was almost begging.  
The Sannin took a moment to think.  
- listen. I'll take the three of them now, ready to go to de mission, I'll give them a single exercise to see their team work and as soon as we ended we go directly to the battlefield.  
The sensei didn't look much convinced, but he couldn't do anything, so he accepted the conditions and went to explain everything to the Hokage.  
- well, well. Since we have almost no time we are going to use it as much a possible! – Jiraiya said lifting a fist and looking triumphantly at his pupils. – first, names and dreams to the future.  
- I'm Uchiha Mikoto, and… I just want to get better and… be useful, I guess. I haven't really think about it before.  
- You'll find something, everyone does. – Jiraiya moved his hand as if he was frightening a fly – you?  
- Kaede, Uchiha Kaede. My dream… know who I really am, be remembered for someone, leave a mark.  
- wow, good names. The Uchiha clan has a great reputation. – the Sannin said – As you, of course, already know I am the legendary Jiraiya sama, one of the great sannins. This boy here is Minato – he said grabbing the boy's head and shaking it a bit – He's part of the group "when adult, I'm gonna be Hokage", little probabilities to success, need harder work. Well, that's enough, we need to pack so we are going to each house, telling the parents and I'll also taste your speed. Kaede, take me to your home as fast as you can!  
- Yes!  
The girl jumped threw the window falling beside Uchiha Fugaku, one of her companions, who got surprised and moved back. Kaede pushed him softly making him fall on the ground and continued her way at full speed with her team following her.  
They entered the Uchiha clan. Kaede's house was one of the more far away of the entrance, together with the bigger and houses, after all her father was one of the most important persons of the clan.  
They stopped at the door, and entered the hall. Kaede asked them to wait there and call a door that was on her right.  
- Yes? – said a loud and could voice from the other side  
- father, it's me, Kaede.  
- Come in.  
The girl slid the sliding door kneeling down in the floor. On the bottom of the room they could see a high man with long black hair and dark eyes looking contemptuously at his daughter. she closed the door, now kneeling on the other side.  
The rest of the team waited on the hall. They could see the girl's silhouette through the door and hear exactly what was said.  
- We've been assigned to Jiraiya sama, the great Sannin – she was saying – Right now he's waiting for me outside to go on our first mission, in this war times as many ninjas are there better it will be to the village.  
- and you pretend to tell me now, after you have already decided everything? – her father said clearly angry – don't you realized about the consequences of your acts?  
- Please forgive me, it is my fault, I didn't think about the consequences.  
They saw how the girl's silhouette was going down on a reverence. She was still kneeling in front of her father.  
- go, do as you wish, but don't dare ruin the name of our clan. – the father said with a clearly disgusted voice – you know what you have to do, do not disappoint me. Or you'll have to hold on the consequences.  
- Yes!  
After another reverence Kaede opened the door. She was about to close it when Jiraiya stopped her by putting his hand on the door.  
- Sir, I'd like to talk to you alone – he said speaking to the father – I'm Jiraiya, one of the legendary sannins, a pupil of the Third and your daughter's new sensei.  
- go ahead. – Kaede's father said.  
- guys – Jiraiya said looking at his students – look Kaede's stuff and wait for me outside.  
The three of them affirmed and followed the girl upstairs to her room, knowing that their sensei didn't want them to hear the conversation.  
The young ninja's room was small, it had a bed a desk and the bottom corner were lots of shelves full of books, toys, parchments, and some weapons.  
- how lucky.. he gave me permission – Kaede whispered while she was opening the wardrobe doors and starting to take out some clothes.  
- yes.. – Mikoto said – I hope my father will let me go too.  
- lucky? – Minato asked, he couldn't believe it – it's an honor to be a ninja! Being called because you are necessary, that your son goes out of the academy earlier to go to war it's an honor!! He should be happy for you.  
- I'm a woman, I'm lucky that he let me enter the academy – answered Kaede as if it was the most obviously thing – we do some missions of low range to earn something but the main job it's done by the men.  
Minato looked at her without believe what he was hearing.  
- that's foolish! And with the amazing talent you two have!! I saw you fighting, and I'm sure you were enjoying it. Haven't you ever seen a woman been ninja?  
- they are not much – Mikoto said – and in general they are in the lower levels.  
- there are just a few of them cause most of the woman don't like to fight – the boy said still indigenized – ninja it's not the only job, there are much more. It's only about likes and dislikes, there is nothing that forbidders a woman passionate for the fight to be a ninja!  
- a man gets offended if a woman is stronger – Mikoto said – that's why we didn't show our real force in the academy, well, we didn't even need it.  
- yeah, it's shameful because the society says that woman are weak, what doesn't make it true.  
Mikoto and Kaede looked at each other. Minato was contradicting, and with good arguments, which they had been taught, he was putting in words what they hearts were screaming and they had never managed to express.  
They stopped talking and start putting Kaede's stuff on her bag. Once they ended they went back downstairs. When they arrived Jiraiya was going out the room.  
- … do not forget it – he was saying  
- Jiraiya sensei! – Minato said once they were out the house – what happened?  
- It's nothing – he looked at the girls – you two. I'd like to talk to you.  
They didn't answer.  
- Look, I know you have an education, but allow me to say that it's wrong. The woman fulfills a very important role in the society, you must follow your instincts and fight for your rights. You are not going to say to me that you've never thought that those norms were unfair, even when you discovered, cause I'm sure you did it, that none of your other companions were under them.  
After a short silence when the kids looked to the floor Jiraiya said:  
- Well, now we are going to your house Mikoto. And don't worry, you'll come.  
The girl smiled and guided them to the front door. As Kaede she knocked his father room's door and entered kneeling on the floor.  
- Father I came with Jiraiya sama, the Sannin – she announced – he has been designated my teacher and accompanist. This morning Danjuro sensei has reported to Kaede and myself that already we are ninjas of Konoha. They need us in the front and we would go out at once in our first mission.  
- This is inadmissible. How do they dare to designate ninja my daughter without at least consult me? - they listened from the other side of the door the impassioned voice of a man - I cannot tolerate it, it was supposed that you would finish the academy as any normal pupil, you do not have why to stand out, I will speak with..  
- sorry for the interruption – Jiraiya said while opening the door – Mikoto, guys, go packing, come on.  
Mikoto looked unsure to his father and then to Jiraiya, not being sure about to which one should she obey nor which one was she most afraid of. She finally decided to do as her new teacher said and took her team mates to her room.  
- again! – almost scream Minato – with all the respect Mikoto chan… are all the uchihas so… antiquated?  
- no, some parents are softer and don't respect so much the procedure – Mikoto explained  
Minato remained in silence. There was something wrong going on there, it was like they had a brain wash. Besides, the quiet and nervous girls that he had ahead in nothing were looking like those that he had known out, fighting, with those that he had chatted in the way, when they entered to the house they have changed completely.  
- on theory we should be worrying about getting the better husband before another girl does – Kaede said – our parents want us to marry the same guy.  
- your parents choose your husbands?  
- well… I never though it was right, I admit it – answered Mikoto – but yes, they tell us who is more adequate to us. Mine wants me to marry at the age of 16.  
They ended packing and went out of the house. They spent a long while waiting Jiraiya to come out.  
Finally it(he,she) went out of the house bothered but conformed.  
- alright, we are moving. Minato, it's just your house left, guide us as fast as you can. Ah! And you two – he said looking at the girls – I prohibited you to keep hidden any power at all under my orders. Understood? Anything of that humiliating the man thing, that way nobody learns anything. I want to see everything you've got!  
- aye!  
After a quick visit to Minato's house they went to the forest border. There was an enormous clear with only three trunks it was finishing in a cliff on which a river was passing. Jiraiya left his bag close to one of the trunks and took out of it a couple of sleigh-bells.  
- the rules are simple. If you can get ride of one of the sleigh-bells I'll pay you the lunch. – he explained – come on, leave those bags and prepare yourselves.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jiraiya tied the sleigh-bells to his belt leaving them hanging.

- There are only two – pointed Mikoto

- that's why the one who doesn't get the sleigh-bell will be tied to a trunk and watch us eat while starving.

- Sounds interesting – said Minato

The three kids smiled and got ready to start.

- To accomplish you have to come to me with will to kill. You have time till the sun goes down, after that we are going to the real mission. Start.. now!

The three of them jumped and disappeared from their master's sight, hiding on different places.

- Doton, retsudo tenshou!

Minato put his hand on the floor, it started to crumble just like an earthquake would have done. Jiraiya avoided the cracks easily and stopped the young man who was running towards him at full speed putting a hand in the head. The little boy stretched his arms, but he didn't reach the sleight-bells.

- You'll need more than that to get them.

And he pushed the boy away, who hit heavily a tree. From Jiraiya's back Kaede appeared jumping and she tried to stick a kick on the side of her master's head, but the only thing that happened was that he grabbed her from an ankle, leaving her hanging head down.

- Katon Gōkakyū no jutsu!

Jiraiya released the girl, avoided the fire and managed to stop her before she could get too close. Kaede had a great speed and precision on taijutsu, was very confident about herself and seemed to anticipate all her enemy's moves.

Deciding to immobilize her completely, he moved even rapidly than her, held her arms behind her back, threw her at the floor, and sat over her.

- of course! That's why… - whispered Jiraiya looking at his student's face, who was trying to escape – you can already use the sharingan. Well, well, what a surprise.

- Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu

This time the attack came from Mikoto, but Jiraiya moved at top speed, leaving Kaede to receive the genjutsu.

She got up a little annoyed, but she got ride quickly of the jutsu, with her sharingan it was easy thing to detect illusions.

- What's wrong with you?! Don't attackME! – she shouted

- it wasn't directed to you! It's not my fault if you were right on the middle!

- why don't we take turns? – suggested Minato getting close to the girls as he spoke.

- but that way the first ones have more chances – argued Mikoto

- We'll decide with rock, paper or scissors! – proposed Kaede

Jiraiya was watching his students from the distance. He saw them arguing, screaming, playing rock, paper or scissors, but he had no idea what they were talking about. Finally Minato started walking towards him and the girls went back to hide in the forest. It seemed that they had agreed an order.

- OK! Lets start! – said Minato with a total trust on himself

- hehehe, anytime. What is it?

Minato was looking surprised at something at the back of his master, on the river that went under the cliff.

- Nothing.. I just find strange that Tsunade would enter the river.. it's not that hot yet.

- Eh? Tsunade? Wearing bikini?!

Jiraiya turned around without worrying on hide his perverted face.

- gotcha!!

Mikoto and Kaede jumped over their sensei and with high speed took the sleight-bells of his belt.

- yeah!!

The three kids screamed with joy and clapped.

- it can't beeeeeeeeeeeeee – Jiraiya looked angry and infuriated. His gaze was going from the happy kids to the river in which wasn't any Tsunade wearing a bikini.

He grabbed Minato from the back of his shirt, stamped him against the middle trunk and tied him up.

- EH! Why I'm the only one tied up?!

- you didn't grab any sleight-bell, they did – he said pointing at the girls, and pressing the teeth.

- TEAM WORKK! I WAS THE ONE WHO CAME THE IDEA OF USING YOUR PERVERTED MIND AGAINST YOU!!

- I AM NOT PERVERTED, IT'S CALLED INFORMATION COLLECTION! YOU DON'T HAVE A SLEIGHT-BELL AND NOW YOU ARE WATCHING US EAT!

- that's why.. – whispered Minato with a cute angry face – just angry cause of the way you lost…

The girls couldn't stop laughing for a long while. Already too friendly with each other, the girls ate in front of Minato just to bother him, while he was threatening them with what he would do to them when he became Hokage. Then Kaede felt pity and fed him with the food that she and Mikoto hadn't eat yet.

It wasn't even sunset when they took of. They went thought konoha's entrance doors with crescent emotion, it was the first time Kaede and Mikoto leave konoha.

Their mission consisted on send information to the ninjas guarding the frontier, and, of course, eliminate any enemy that would cross onto their way.

They advanced for the forest without following a specific path at top speed. They allowed themselves a rest just when the night had already fallen down and were far away from the village. They stopped in a small clear, opened their blankets and prepared to sleep.

However, Jiraiya wasn't sleeping. He was sitting on a rock showing their students his back. He was monitoring with all his senses the enemies' possible arrival.

- Sensei…

The sannin turned around surprised. Minato was moving towards him, he looked worried.

- Can I ask you something?

- Sure. Come, have a seat.

He moved a little and the boy sat on the rock too.

- Why did Mikoto chan and Kaede chan's parents act like that? They should have been happy, proud of their daughters… right?

Jiraiya took a large breath before continuing. He was looking for the right way to say it.

- Minato, I wish everybody would think just the way you do. But you'll see that it's nothing like that, in the world there are different people that thinks different and may do things that to you would be ununderstandable, but that depends on their education and personality. And they… They just think about themselves.

Minato looked at him without understand.

- What's wrong with having a ninja daughter? It would even increase their reputation…

- You just promise me that you won't tell nothing to those two.

The boy nodded. Jiraiya took another deep breath an continued.

- About twelve years ago babie's disappearances began to been report. Desperate the mothers were going to beg help to the Hokage, offering him all their savings, they just wanted to get their children back. An exhaustive search began, but at the time we found them it was already too late. We found almost everyone dead body on a subterranean lab. They were all dead. They had all died because of artificial genetic alterations.

Minato remained in silence, not sure if he had understand it correctly.

- They were injecting cells of other persons - made clear his teacher - cells of other clans, even from other villages that weren't compatible with the bodies and ended up killing the babies. War makes people do things that would never been expected, apparently this experiment was in order to create the perfect ninja, which with a little training would win the upcoming war. The culprits were never found, though we had a few suspects in the gun-sight but we could never demonstrate their guilt. We also believe that some babies survived, since we never found the whole amount of bodies that were reported disappeared, but we couldn't localize them… till last night.

Minato had his eyes wide open in surprise.

- Can't be… they..!

- Yes, they are both genetically altered – affirmed Jiraiya – it's the only logical explanation I can find. It would explain Kaede's golden hair, her amazing talent and the fact that her parents didn't want her to get too much attention, that they keep her under such amount of stupid rules. They are afraid of been discovered, cause they are the ones that used their own daughters and so many other babies for their experiment. So like I was telling you, you'll meet a lot of people that thinks different, and acts madly in your opinion, people much worse that this two cowards you met today. Keep that in mind. C'mon, now go to sleep, we still have a long way to go.

He shook the boy's head and gave to him a jog in order to make him go to bed. Minato decided to do as he was told and wrapped up himself with his blanket, but far from falling asleep he simply stood thinking about everything what he had just heard.

Not far from him Mikoto was holding tight her blanket trying to hold her tears after hearing her master tell the story of her father.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The days passed without more surprises, they were calmly on their way to a konoha fortress, they hadn't met an enemy yet. The three kids had became close friends during the trip, and had learned to love their sensei despite of his endless and unpredictable madness.

- Which one is your strongest jutsu? – Kaede asked Minato while they were jumping from tree to tree at high speed.

- mmm.. I'm not sure, depending on the opponent it's the effect I get.

- he's really rapid, but his top speed only works with those with low reflexes. – explained Mikoto – for example, it wouldn't work against our sharingan.

- well, my most powerful.. most useful, actually, jutsu it's my sharingan – admitted Kaede – but I prefer taijutsu.

- Sharingan user and she doesn't know ocular techniques.. – whispered Mikoto

- That depends on each one – Minato said – with a good taijutsu you don't need illusion techniques. Besides with the sharingan she can see the opponents moves before hand, so it's really helpful.

- And you can't use genjutsu against me, I note it immediately – Kaede added smiling – not for nothing the uchiha clan it's konoha's most powerful one.

- hmpf, I can surely easily defeat you – Minato said – that you can see what I'm gonna do doesn't means that you'll be able to stop me.

Kaede opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself when she saw Jiraiya suddenly stopped running and made them quiet with a gesture.

- Someone's coming. – their master whispered

He hadn't even ended up saying it when Kaede felt someone grabbing her leg and pushing her down. Her scream broke the silence of the sunset.

- Kaede!

A huge man with dark skin and black little eyes was grabbing the girl by her right leg living her hanging upside down. The leg was doubling in an abnormal angle.

Kaede moved to and fro and with a rapid movement and gave him an accurate blow in the crotch, making him release her.

Without wasting any time Jiraiya jumped out of the tree and started a bloody fight with the man. Even though he was huge he moved at high speed.

- RUN! – shouted the teacher

In a normal situation neither of them would have listen to him, but when they saw the desperation reflected on their master's face, trying to protect them, they decided to obey. Jiraiya was using taijutsu to avoid harming his students, once they were away the real battle would start.

Minato loaded Kaede in arms, who was whining of impotence while looking at her broken leg. They began to run without specific direction, they ended up at the edge of a cliff.

- and now what?

Kaede, who was sitting on the ground, pushed Minato away to prevent him from receiving a blow from a man as huge as the other one, that had appeared unexpectedly from behind. The girl took the hit and this time was grabbed from the neck.

- What are you gonna do now, ah? – asked the man, he had a low could voice. – you are gonna run again leaving your friend die?

- release her! – Minato screamed running at top speed towards the man holding a couple of kunais.

- If that's whatcha want..

The man very calmly and seemingly enjoying the moment of desperation of the kids threw the already unconscious Kaede down the precipice.

And in front of Mikoto's horrified look Minato jumped behind his friend without thinking twice, running on the cliff wall accumulating chakra on his feet.

- MINATO KUN!

Mikoto's scream sounded in the silence forest. The huge man, without stopping his laugh, jumped in the edge of the precipice, making part of it fall over where a few seconds before Kaede and Minato had fallen.

- I don't think they'll live after that…

Mikoto, desperate, started to run. The tears were jumping out of her eyes without stop. Suddenly she hit a girl and fell on the ground.

- y.. you are the enemy! - Mikoto stammered, putting herself in a staggering position of assault.

- No! – the girl she had hi with denied driven to despair – I swear, I'm from the Whirlpool country, we have nothing to do with this!! Our village just stands in the middle of the war, please!

Mikoto, now more calmed, noted that the girl was also crying. They were almost the same age, she had red hair short above the shoulders, wearing orange clothes. On her forehead she had a bandage with the whirlpool symbol on it. She couldn't stop shaking.

On that moment the man that Mikoto was running away from appeared jumping over them while another one, thin and tall, appeared from behind the read haired. The girls screamed driven to despair covering their heads with they arms, but when Mikoto's fits closed they felt a warm red liquid falling over them.

- … blood? – whispered the girl

Mikoto looked everywhere, there was no sing of the men, just blood everywhere. It was like if they had exploded.

- What happened?

- I have no idea… - said Mikoto looking at her hands – but I think it was me.

- I have an idea!! – said the read haired almost jumping of joy – I'll tell you how to get out of the forest, right? If the two of us go together we'll make it alive!

- you know how to get out of the forest?

- of course! I've already told you, I'm from the whirlpool country, these are my woods. My name is Uzumaki Kushina, placer to meet you.

The girl extended her hand. Mikoto thought a moment and then she pressed it.

- Fine, but first you are gonna help me to find my friends. I'm Uchiha Mikoto, and I'm not leaving until I know if they're alive or death.

The started walking towards the place where Mikoto thought the others had fallen, while she was explaining Kushina what was happening.

- They also attacked my village.. – explained Kushina – I was sleeping when I heard screams and my father told me to escape. I was with my brother but we got separated when we entered the forest. That gut you exploited had been chasing me for a while.

They hear a loud noise darkened with the distance.

- … the cliff collapsed – whispered Kushina

Mikoto saw on the floor a trace left by something, or someone, very big, most likely the man that had thrown Kaede off the cliff. They started to follow the track left by the man, hoping to find the rest of the team.

Finally they arrived where the short but crucial battle had occurred. Mikoto got near the edge of the cliff carefully, Kushina couldn't stop talking.

- I don't think no one could have survived that fall… - whispered the read haired – we better go before more of them come… we are not far from my village, and it's under enemy attack so I wouldn't be surprised if..

- I'm going down.

- What?!

- If you don't wanna come stay here, go to your village, get out of the woods, or wharever. I don't care. I'm going down.

- that's.. insane… going down there..

Mikoto turned around and looked Kushina in the eyes holding her tears. With tighten teeth of anger and impotence she said:

- no matter how little it is, there is still a chance to my team to be alive, I'm not leaving this forest until I've seen it with my own eyes! If.. they were alive and I wouldn't have done anything to help them I could never forgive myself… I don't wanna loose the only ones that had once truly loved me.

- and.. eh.. how are we going down? – asked Kushina while Mikoto was washing away her tears.

The girl pull out a thread tightened one end to a tree and the other one on her waist.

- let's go – she said grabbing Kushina and letting them selfless fall off the cliff accompanied by the read haired screams.

Suddenly the fall stopped, they hadn't even reach the middle of the wall.

- We are out of thread… - whispered Mikoto

- eh… I don't wanna be pessimist but… now things are getting complicated, going down by jumping It's suicide and with all those rocks down there… it's just.. if we go up and get a few threads together maybe..

Mikoto wasn't listening, she just pasted her feet on the wall and untied the thread.

- W… What are you doing?! – asked Kushina with fear – we're gonna fall!

- Can't you focus your chakra?

- i.. i.. It's not that I wanna bored you by talking or something, it's just that when I'm nervous I can't stop talking… and It's not that I want you to release me and fall, I can see you can hold on very well with your chakra… and I'm a ninja, It's true! I know I should know how, but It's just that my first mission was gonna be tomorrow at dawn and my sensei was supposed to teach me..

- stop complaining – Mikoto raised the girl on her back and started to walk down – this is my first mission too.

Minato was running at top speed on the wall of the cliff, seeing Kaede fall every second faster in front of him. He run even faster and reached his unconscious friend. He jumped towards her and grab her in some sort of hug. Driven to despair in the middle of the swift fall he tried to hold on to the wall with chakra on his hands and feet, but the traction wasn't enough, the fall's speed kept him off. Above him he could see huge rocks falling product of the disintegration of part of the cliff. He did a few turns hitting the wall heavily on his will to hold on. Finally he resigned himself and grab Kaede in a way that he would be the first one reaching the floor. With a strong hit the fall stopped.

Then, everything was darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The sky was getting clear when Mikoto and Kushina reached the end of the cliff. Rocks were everywhere, and the girls couldn't see too far thanks to the morning's mist.

- and now what?

They started to walk in the middle of the rocks, trying to find something that could tell them where were the others, or, though no one wanted to say it aloud, they lifeless bodies.

Then they heard steps above them. Someone, or something, was coming down the cliff wall. The quickest and most silent way they were able they entered on an space between two rocks hearing the steps coming closer and closer. They huddled up tightly and almost stop breathing on their intent to be quiet.

The steps stopped just over them. A soft low voice said:

- finally, I found you.

Kaede opened her eyes with difficulty. She was filling giddiness, her entire body was hurting her and she had no idea where she was, the last thing she remembered was a huge man grabbing her by the neck. She looked around, she was in some sort of tiny cave with plane rocks by walls, lightened by a little aperture in front of her. By her side, surprised but happy at a time, she saw Minato.

- are you ok? – asked the boy when he saw her opening her eyes.

Kaede stood up with a big effort.

- Where are we? What happened?

Minato looked down, took a deep breath and he told her everything that had happened.

- we fell just beside this crack, we were lucky, I saw it on time and was able to hide us before the rocks crushed us down. – he said finishing the tale.

- you jumped off a cliff to save me? – asked Kaede surprised.

- yeah… well, now that I think of it, it wasn't a smart idea – admitted Minato – but I guess I just didn't really think…

They spent a while without talking. The space inside there was little, one of Kaede's legs was doubled on a strange angle and the pain was growing nonstop, they both had big bloody cuts and contusions all over the body, had no idea of how much time had passed, and didn't know how to get out of there.

Minato took out the bandage he had under his shuriken bag and bandaged the best way he could Kaede's leg, after regrouping her bones with a quick movement. The girl bent backwards holding her teeth tight to prevent a scream of pain to come out.

- I think if we move this rock we can go out easily… - whispered Minato looking through the little crack.

- yeah, if the rest of the rocks don't fall over us while leaving the balance.

- we risk it all or we die of starvation here – the kid turned around and looked at his friend with decided eyes – a good hit with the fit filled with chakra would be enough to crumble this rock, if I place myself instead of it you'll be able to get out.

- if someone is going to hang on the rocks that's gonna be me. – argued Kaede – I have no idea of how to strengthen a blow whit chakra, besides, you jumped off a cliff to save me, if someone will have more chances to be crushed down that's gonna be me.

- …. Ok

Kaede leaned against the rock that was blocking they way out while Minato closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

- like Tsunade san.. like Tsunade san.. – he whispered.

At the count of three Minato strengthened his right fit with chakra and hit the rock. It crumbled down leaving them enough space to go out, but, just as they had foreseen, the rest of the rocks were out of balance and began to sway. Kaede felt the weight on her back increase considerably.

- hurry up! – she screamed

Minato got out of the cave and looked driven to despair the amount of rocks that were about to crumble. He went near Kaede and pulled her off the crack making the rocks finally fall. Without looking back the kid grabbed her friend and, charging her on his arms, started to run at top speed on the opposite direction of the falling rocks.

Stunned, tired, hurt but almost relieved they arrived to a little forest at the edge of a crystalline river. Without thinking it twice they thrown themselves into the water, though they stayed close to the edge. With this they could refresh, satisfy the thirst, and wash their wounds.

Minato bandaged Kaede's leg again, this time using a couple of branches to keep it still. It was almost dawn when they found a few apple trees that gave them what they though as the best food of their lives. They put as much traps as they could and established themselves in the center.

- We'll be fine here – said Minato when they finished the apples – With this thick trees they cannot see us, and the traps will tell us if someone is coming. We have clean water and food.

-… well, my first mission and is a failure – whispered Kaede

- forget the mission! – Minato consoled her – the thing now it's survive. If we stay here it's more provable that, if Jiraiya sensei is still alive, he can find us. Anyways, before we move we need to rest, and your leg has to heal, going up the cliff now would be a suicide.

- and what about Mikoto?

The boy though about it before answering.

- The probabilities that she had survived are low, but so were ours, so we can't go forward the facts. Even so, we have to worry about ourselves, Mikoto will do what's best for her and we'll find each other sometime.

Kaede remained in silence. She knew that her friend was right, but it wasn't easy to accept.

- If I'm not mistaken the whirlpool village it's near here. – continued planning Minato – As soon as your leg is healed we go up and look for the village. With a little bit of luck they'll let us in and give us somewhere to stay. I've heard it's neutral in this war.

They spent a long while in silence sitting on the shadow of the trees. They were really tired, but none was daring to sleep. Even if the sun was shining beautifully, the only sound heard was the singing of the birds and the running of the water, they were still at the enemy's territory and the slightest mistake could cost them their lives.

- Minato… - said suddenly Kaede resting her head on the boy's chest – thanks.

Minato embraced sweetly his friend and did a few caresses her in the head when she began to cry.

- We'll make it out of this one somehow… - he whispered – I promise.

Kaede washed her tears away and looked Minato in the eyes for a second that last an eternity. With no previous advise, without thinking, without even knowing why she was doing it she stretched herself until she reached the boy's lips and kissed him. Minato clearly wasn't expecting it, because he stood frozen with the eyes wide open for a few seconds, but when he understood what was happening didn't take him long to kiss her back.

The hours were passing by and there were no signs of any life. Minato and Kaede decided to sleep since they couldn't resist anymore, but they did it separately, taking turns to watch for enemies. During his second turn Minato heard hurried and careless steps near them.

He took a couple of strings, and was ready to activate one of the traps when he heard a familiar voice screaming:

- Minato kun! Kaede chan!

The boy hurried to wake his friend, now a different voice, also from a girl that he had never heard before was shouting:

- Minato san! Kaede san!

They both look at each other surprised but extremely happy. In front of them, tired, with a kunai in each hand, with a lot of scratches and bruising all over the body, but with a huge smile was Mikoto. She was with another girl of their same age, somewhat shorter than Mikoto, with a striking fire-red hair, and amazing green eyes and, strangely, a huge brown frog tall till their waist. When she saw that they were all together the frog disappeared in a cloud of smoke with no previous advice.

- Those traps you put are useless – said Mikoto trying to avoid her tears to come – it was easy to..

But she couldn't finish the phrase, because both Minato and Kaede run towards her (Kaede jumping in her healthy foot) and all three were sunk in a huge hug that ended up throwing them to the floor.

- You are two idiots! – screamed Mikoto when they got separated – how dare you jump off a cliff and don't tell me you are alive?

Minato and Kaede told them what had happened while they all were eating apples, although they forgot to mention the kiss.

Then it was Mikoto's turn. She introduced Kushina and told them how they had made it there.

- Then we heard steps and hide under some rocks, but it was the frog! – was saying the girl finishing her story – I could have never imagined it, Jiraiya sensei send a lot of frogs to look for us all over the forest! She's really good at tracking so she realized right away where had you gone.

Unexpectedly and taking them all with low guard a tall and very thin man fell down from the top of a tree. Luckily for them all he was unconscious, blood was draining from his head nonstop. Given the surprise of the boys a few seconds later landed next to them nothing more and nothing less than Jiraiya, accompanied by the frog who had gathered together the group, who, as before, disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

- On the battle field lower your guard can cost you your life – He said smiling to his students – begin to listen to your master for once!


End file.
